A civic watchdog, Civic Accountability Platform MonITNG, has raised an alarm over what it described as the mismanagement of public funds under the guise of empowerment programs in Aguata Federal Constituency, Anambra State.
A civic watchdog, Civic Accountability Platform MonITNG, has raised an alarm over what it described as the mismanagement of public funds under the guise of empowerment programs in Aguata Federal Constituency, Anambra State.
In a statement on Wednesday, the group said, "Our team tracked how public funds are being mismanaged under the guise of empowerment programs in Aguata Federal Constituency, Anambra State."
The project in question, titled Vocational Training and Empowerment of Selected Youths and Women of Aguata Federal Constituency, Anambra State, with Project Code ZIP20250444, was facilitated by Hon. Engr. Dominic Ifeanyichukwu Okafor, Member representing Aguata Federal Constituency.
It was executed through the Federal Co-operative College Oji River, under the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to MonITNG, the project was budgeted at ₦36 million of taxpayers’ money but ended up being unveiled at Igboukwu Central School on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, as a distribution of wheelbarrows, hoes, and cutlasses.
The group lamented that rather than vocational training or the provision of meaningful tools, what was delivered fell far short of expectations.
"This exposes how constituency projects meant to tackle unemployment and poverty have been reduced to political handouts,” it said.
“Empowerment should mean equipping youths and women with skills like tailoring, ICT, agro-processing, welding, or renewable energy installation, alongside tools that can create real businesses and opportunities. Instead, ₦36 million was sunk into crude implements that belong to a bygone era."
MonITNG questioned the rationale behind the project, stressing that such items could not meet the pressing needs of today’s economy.
"How does a cutlass or wheelbarrow empower a young graduate to compete in today’s economy? How does it provide women with sustainable livelihoods? The truth is: it doesn’t. These items only entrench poverty while politicians score cheap points with party loyalists," the organisation lamented.
The group argued that Nigeria risks falling further behind if leaders continue to prioritize outdated empowerment models.
"At a time when nations are investing in technology-driven agriculture and digital empowerment, using ₦36 million on cutlasses and wheelbarrows is not just misplaced priority, it is a waste of public funds,” it said.
Calling for accountability, MonITNG urged federal agencies involved in the project to explain their role in what it described as a failed initiative.
"We must demand answers from the Federal Co-operative College Oji River and the Ministry of Agriculture on why such a backward initiative was approved and executed. Constituency projects are supposed to transform lives, not mock the intelligence of citizens," it said.
The statement added that public funds should be deployed for projects that genuinely reduce poverty and empower citizens in sustainable ways.
"Public funds must work for the people. Citizens deserve real empowerment, programs that provide modern training, innovative tools, and access to markets that can truly reduce poverty. Anything short of that is deception disguised as development," it said.
The group concluded with a strong call for reform.
"It is time for transparency, accountability, and genuine investment in people. Until then, millions will continue to be wasted while communities like Aguata remain trapped in underdevelopment," it said.